Survival
by flower-envy
Summary: Catching Fire AU. There was no plan regarding the revolution, only Finnick's plan to weave his way into the hearts of the lovers of district 12 as part of surviving the Quell.
1. Chapter 1: The Reaping

**Title: **The Reaping

**POV:** Finnick

**Pairing: **Finnick/Annie, future Katniss/Finnick/Peeta

**Type: **Catching Fire AU

**Prompt: **There was no plan regarding the revolution, only Finnick's plan to weave his way into the hearts of the lovers of district 12 as part of surviving the Quell.

**Word Count: **705

The Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, the Third Quarter Quell…so finally I know what will kill me.

I can't say it hasn't been a question on my mind since I won my Games. _How will the Capitol finally kill me?_ I always assumed it would be some mysterious "accident." But if it were going to be that easy for them, they would've done it by now. So instead, they make a Games that puts victors in the arena again.

_I guess Snow's honestly scared of what I know…_

"Finnick, you need to see this." I don't remember her name. The Capitol sold me to her for the afternoon. Last hurrah of a dying victor. Milk me for all I'm worth.

**The reaping had been this morning. They'd called Annie, but Mags stepped up to take her place. I barely had enough time to glance in Annie's direction, let her know everything would be all right, before my name was drawn from the male population of tributes. There weren't many of us from District 4, but I'd assumed it would be someone else. The thought had never crossed my mind that I'd be going back.**

**No one volunteered to go in my place.**

I head into the bedroom. She's lying on the bed, still naked and not bothering to hide it, watching the television. The tributes from District 12 are being selected.

"Everyone all ready knows who's going from 12," I growl irritably. "Why do I need to watch this?"

"Look at her," she demands.

"Ladies first," says the woman with the ridiculous wig and thick Capitol accent – Effie, I think it was – on the television. She reaches into the glass bowl just for show, as everyone all ready knows there's only one slip of paper in there. "Katniss Everdeen," she announces.

The girl takes the stage. Maybe seventeen now, maybe not even quite that old yet. Black hair, grey eyes. Last year she'd been scrawny, but she seems fit enough now. Exhausted, but fit.

And angry. Oh, so angry.

No one's cheering – the Capitol insists on cheering at the reaping, but they won't. This is wrong, and they know it. It's even more wrong to send her this time than the last, and that's saying a lot.

_This stunt with the victors being re-reaped…it's not to stop me from talking; it's to stop her from starting a revolution._

One girl isn't enough for a whole revolution. She's just a well-known face with fiery clothes and a will to live. More is needed to start a revolution.

A martyr. _Rue._ A speechmaker. _Peeta._

And look who was just called… Well, it wasn't the boy, but he volunteered as soon as Haymitch's name was read.

A revolution needs something else, too, though. A leader. A mastermind. Someone who calls the shots, leads the charge. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are not leaders.

So Snow's wrong. The Districts are too scared to rise up against him. But because he thinks they will anyway, I'm going back to the arena.

_I'm sorry, Annie._

"If you wanna make it out of there," the girl interrupts my train of thought, "then you should make her an ally." Something about this woman from the Capitol giving me advice on surviving in the arena irks me, but at the same time she's probably right. Everyone else going into that arena will remember her determination all to well. The other 22 tributes this year will be reviewing the old tapes of each other, but no one needs a refresher on the lovebirds from District 12. And they are, once again, the most likely to make it out alive – not that anyone was really betting on them last year. I personally had my money on Cato. He was in the top three, anyhow. But no one saw Katniss Everdeen coming.

And the other tributes will bet on that.

Each of them will do anything and everything it takes to get the other out of there alive. I'm sure Peeta's interview with Caesar will be enlightening.

Whatever their strategy, anyone allied with them is likely to make it to the final five, at least.

Therefore, whatever my strategy, my first move is to get on their good side.


	2. Chapter 2: Instincts

**Title: **Survival – Chapter Two: Instincts

**POV:** Katniss

**Pairing: **Katniss/Finnick, future Katniss/Finnick/Peeta

**Type: **Catching Fire AU

**Prompt: **There was no plan regarding the revolution, only Finnick's plan to weave his way into the hearts of the lovers of district 12 as part of surviving the Quell.

**Word Count: **

It is certainly true that the more attractive tributes always got the most sponsors. People sponsored me last year because of Cinna's costumes and Peeta's (unrequited) love. People sponsored Finnick ten years ago because he looks good on his own. He really is, by far, the most attractive man I've ever met – and plenty of Capitol women agreed with me.

His District would have scrounged together all the funds they could to support him, because he was a fighter and he actually stood a chance. But the Capitol and the other Districts sponsored him because he was beautiful, and the people of Panem – and particularly the Capitol – are obsessed with beauty.

I stand beside Finnick, who is leaning against a fence suggestively and lavishing a horse with sugar cube gifts. The whole scene makes me wonder if Finnick Odair does _anything_ in a non-evocative way. Or does everyone simply read it as suggestive because of his looks, while really he's behaving like any other guy?

He offers me a sugar cube, and I decline. After a brief pause, he asks suddenly, "Wanna be allies?"

"I thought that forming alliances off the field is against the rules?" I ask, perplexed.

"Screw the rules," he answers.

I notice his hands curling into fists, but I don't mention it. "I'll have to talk it over with my fiancé," I answer.

He looks down at me, and I watch the corners of his mouth curl up into a sneer. "You know you don't have to pretend here, right?" he asks. "There aren't any cameras around."

Half of me thinks I should argue with him, pretend I'm upset about the wedding being cancelled, rub my "pregnant" belly for a bit, blow a kiss to Peeta. The other half is glad that there's one person here who understands how confused I am about my love life. I answer simply, "That obvious, huh?"

"Yes, strikingly so. Lucky for you most of the Capitol audience has an IQ of -60."

I laugh at this, then realize that it's the first time I've laughed since the Quarter Quell announcement. He laughs a little, too, but it sounds almost forced, as if there's something to keep him from laughing – beyond the Games, because those don't really seem to scare him too much. And they shouldn't, because he's clearly the most fit, prepared tribute this year, and he's still gorgeous. Sponsors will be lining up all across Panem to send him parachutes. _Might make sense to be his ally, then. The three people most likely to get the best sponsors working together – not much to stop us until we're the only ones left._

However, my answer earlier still stands, because I can't just make Peeta form an alliance he wants no part of. He'll trust my instincts, but I still owe him the explanation before I say yes.


End file.
